New York, September 22, 2023, SPA – The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) participated yesterday in a session on artificial intelligence (AI) global governance on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in New York City.
Director of the National Information Center (NIC) Essam bin Abdullah Al-Waqeet, represented SDAIA in the session, which saw the participation of high-level officials and AI experts from around the world.
Participants discussed the advancement in generative AI among other topics and discussed the Multistakeholder Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence proposed by UN Secretary General António Guterres.
In a speech, Al-Waqeet affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for the initiative to form the high-level advisory body.
Such endorsement is in line with the interest of the Kingdom in modern technologies, especially AI, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Al-Waqeet added.
The NIC director highlighted the kingdom’s efforts regarding AI, including establishing the International Center of AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) and joining the Digital Development Partnership (DDP), which is led by a team from the World Bank Group.
Furthermore, the kingdom launched the Elevate Program in collaboration with Google Cloud as the world’s first program seeking to provide training in the data and AI fields to 25,000 women representing different countries, Al-Waqeet noted.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia hosted a consultation session during the inaugural edition of the Global AI Summit regarding the formation of the UN’s AI advisory body.
–SPA
21:32 Local Time 18:32 GMT
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